Cisco UCS C-Series Rack Servers vs IBM Power Systems comparison

Cisco and IBM are both solutions in the Rack Servers category. Cisco is ranked #5 with an average rating of 9.0, while IBM is ranked #4 with an average rating of 8.8. Cisco holds a 5.2% mindshare in Rack Servers, compared to IBM’s 8.3% mindshare. Additionally, 96% of Cisco users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 97% of IBM users who would recommend it.

Cisco UCS C-Series Rack Ser...

Read 31 Cisco UCS C-Series Rack Servers reviews

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2,253 Comparison Views

96% willing to recommend

IBM Power Systems

Read 72 IBM Power Systems reviews

3,643 Views
3,643 Comparison Views

97% willing to recommend

Cisco UCS C-Series Rack Ser...

IBM Power Systems

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Oct 8, 2024

Cisco UCS C-Series Rack Servers and IBM Power Systems compete in the server solutions category. Cisco UCS C-Series shows advantages in cost-effectiveness and ease of management, while IBM Power Systems have the upper hand in terms of performance and reliability.

Features: Cisco UCS C-Series offers integration capabilities, flexibility, and ease of management, enhancing operational efficiency. IBM Power Systems highlights include reliability, high processing power, and scalability, supporting demanding workloads efficiently.

Room for Improvement: Cisco UCS C-Series could enhance performance under heavy workloads, improve support for high-demand applications, and optimize hardware resources. IBM Power Systems require simpler configuration processes, streamlined management tools, and more intuitive interface options.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Cisco UCS C-Series is straightforward in deployment with responsive customer service, facilitating adoption and integration. IBM Power Systems may have a longer deployment curve but are supported by a knowledgeable team for handling complex queries.

Pricing and ROI: Cisco UCS C-Series offers competitive pricing and favorable ROI, appealing to budget-conscious businesses. IBM Power Systems, despite a higher setup cost, deliver robust long-term ROI through superior performance and reliability.

To learn more, read our detailed Cisco UCS C-Series Rack Servers vs. IBM Power Systems Report (Updated: September 2025).

Buyer's Guide

Cisco UCS C-Series Rack Servers vs. IBM Power Systems

September 2025

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Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Categories and Ranking

Cisco UCS C-Series Rack Ser...

Ranking in Rack Servers

5th

Average Rating

8.4

Reviews Sentiment

4.3

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Density Optimized Servers (3rd)

IBM Power Systems

Ranking in Rack Servers

4th

Average Rating

8.8

Reviews Sentiment

4.8

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of November 2025, in the Rack Servers category, the mindshare of Cisco UCS C-Series Rack Servers is 5.2%, up from 4.8% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of IBM Power Systems is 8.3%, down from 9.0% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Rack Servers Market Share Distribution
Product	Market Share (%)
IBM Power Systems	8.3%
Cisco UCS C-Series Rack Servers	5.2%
Other	86.5%

Rack Servers

Featured Reviews

Berthold Manz

CTO at ExperTeach GmbH

Seamless server transitions enhance IT infrastructure for AI projects and improve management capabilities

If you are integrated into the Cisco management solution, it is very easy to handle. The performance aspects of Cisco UCS C-Series Rack Servers are very strong. The ability to move from one server to another without changing anything is excellent. We can transfer all the identity of the servers between the servers.

Read full review

Foluso Jibowo

Product Manager at Hiperdist Ltd

Has empowered enterprises with secure and cost-effective solutions

When discussing disadvantages, I do not see many areas for improvement because we have received good testimonies from every client. IBM gives customers peace of mind. One challenge, which I would not really call a challenge, is that initially people have the notion that IBM Power Systems is quite expensive. However, IBM does not lose deals based on price. This is a message we need to keep communicating to people who feel that IBM is on the high side in terms of cost. We encourage them to have a discussion with us about their total cost of ownership over three or five years. There is a notion in the market that IBM is expensive, which is false. However, once we engage and show them their return on investments and their total cost of ownership savings, they tend to embrace IBM.

Read full review

Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Pros

"It is very nice and stable with an easy administration GUI."

"In terms of the features that I have found most valuable, that is basically the hardware, which is more dynamic."

"What I really like about the Cisco USC Server is its service profile."

"The product doesn't take up too much space on the rack and I like that."

"It has centralized our server management and allows us to treat servers like a pool of resources instead of discrete devices."

"The VIC card is the most important feature."

"Excellent server solution with incredible network throughput."

"The solution is reliable and easy to use."

More Cisco UCS C-Series Rack Servers pros

"Additionally, the processing power is far superior, especially with the RSA feature for reliability, serviceability, and availability."

"It scales a lot, you can just keep on adding frames, you can add on CPUs, you get capacity on demand, you can tune the machine very easily to handle different workloads."

"What we like the most is the ability to upgrade the scaling of the system itself. Whenever we need extra storage, we can do that. Whenever we need extra memory, we can do that as well. It's fast and it's available."

"Power Systems' best features are that it's reliable, stable, and easily available. It's also really scalable and can be virtualized without third-party software support."

"Some of the most valuable features are the processing power, stability, and security."

"We have had a good experience with the technical support team at IBM."

"The best features of the solution are its robustness and service level."

"We found working with IBM Power Systems that LPM is the most valuable feature."

More IBM Power Systems pros

Cons

"The pricing is too high and no discounts are available for our country."

"The warranty and support periods should be extended."

"Its accessibility and manageability can be improved. Currently, we have to visit the office to manage it. It should be manageable outside our network. I would like it to be on the cloud."

"There is very little scalability for the cluster. If you need a higher availability, there is a user limitation. So that is the low side."

"The solution needs more capacity and more scalability."

"There is room for better integration with other brands."

"The improvement should be done as per customer requirements."

"The solution can be improved by adjusting the cost."

More Cisco UCS C-Series Rack Servers cons

"The solution could improve the memory database for better integration with SAP HANA."

"I think the cost should be cheaper."

"IBM should be more flexible with marketing or offer marketing events themselves and invite the partners to attend. That might be far more productive."

"The solution is quite expensive."

"Its price can be improved. It is too high."

"I would like to see the scaling model improved so it's not just either tiny or huge."

"IBM Power Systems could improve by having a cloud feature."

More IBM Power Systems cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"This product is slightly more expensive when compared to others."

"The price for Cisco is a bit higher than its competitors. We paid 40k for one server."

"The solution requires an annual licensing fee."

"The price of the solution could be better when compared to other solutions. However, when we purchased the solution we received Cisco UCS C-Series Rack Servers in a bundle with other hardware, such as IP phones and networking switches."

"The pricing is expensive."

"Cisco is expensive, but we didn't look at the cost of the product. We were looking at reliability and support."

"The solution is expensive and I give the price a four out of ten."

"The prices of Cisco UCS C-Series Rack Servers are higher compared to the competition. When we try and sell against the competition, then it becomes quite difficult to sell"

More Cisco UCS C-Series Rack Servers pricing and cost advice

"The pricing is reasonable."

"Its price depends on the sizing."

"IBM Power Systems is very expensive."

"Its price is too high."

"The cost model is great. There is so much built in to the technology, that if you know how to use it you can save yourself a lot of money."

"The additional software costs are high."

"The price of IBM Power Systems is expensive and could improve."

"IBM Power Systems is a really expensive product."

More IBM Power Systems pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

16%

Financial Services Firm

11%

Manufacturing Company

Retailer

Financial Services Firm

13%

Computer Software Company

10%

Manufacturing Company

Government

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	11
Midsize Enterprise	6
Large Enterprise	13

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	17
Midsize Enterprise	18
Large Enterprise	42

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Cisco UCS C-Series Rack Servers?

The C-series is the most valuable.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Cisco UCS C-Series Rack Servers?

The solution is moderately priced.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Cisco UCS C-Series Rack Servers?

I may not be the right person to comment on advanced improvements because we are just using basic functionalities. We are getting all the functionalities which we used to get in other OEM rack serv...

See all answers

What do you like most about IBM Power Systems?

IBM Power Systems provides very good performance and stability compared to other brands or processors.

See all answers

What needs improvement with IBM Power Systems?

See all answers

What is your primary use case for IBM Power Systems?

IBM Power Systems are used mainly in large organizations, generally in the financial industry, government, telecommunications, oil and gas sectors for their high availability environment. These sys...

See all answers

Comparisons

Dell PowerEdge R-Series vs Cisco UCS C-Series Rack Servers

Compared 52% of the time

HPE ProLiant DL Servers vs Cisco UCS C-Series Rack Servers

Compared 20% of the time

Lenovo ThinkSystem Rack Servers vs Cisco UCS C-Series Rack Servers

Compared 10% of the time

HPE Synergy vs Cisco UCS C-Series Rack Servers

Compared 3% of the time

Dell PowerEdge XE-Series vs Cisco UCS C-Series Rack Servers

Compared 3% of the time

More Cisco UCS C-Series Rack Servers Competitors

Intel Server System vs IBM Power Systems

Compared 27% of the time

Dell PowerEdge R-Series vs IBM Power Systems

Compared 23% of the time

Oracle SPARC Servers vs IBM Power Systems

Compared 17% of the time

HPE ProLiant DL Servers vs IBM Power Systems

Compared 17% of the time

Huawei KunLun Mission Critical Server vs IBM Power Systems

Compared 2% of the time

More IBM Power Systems Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Cisco UCS C-Series Rack Servers

November 2025

Download Cisco UCS C-Series Rack Servers product report

Buyer's Guide

IBM Power Systems

October 2025

Download IBM Power Systems product report

Also Known As

Unified Computing System C-Series, Cisco UCS C-Series

IBM OpenPOWER LC

Overview

UCS C-Series Rack Servers deliver unified computing in an industry-standard form factor to reduce TCO and increase agility. Each server addresses varying workload challenges through a balance of processing, memory, I/O, and internal storage resources.

Cisco

IBM Power Systems are built to crush the most advanced data applications - from the mission-critical workloads you run today to the next generation of AI.

IBM

Sample Customers

Advanced Medical Transport, Aegean Motorway, Anilana Hotels and Resorts, Artoni Transporti, BH Telecom, Bowling Green State University, City of Mississauga, Dualtec Cloud Builders, Electricity Authority of Cyprus, Grupo Industrial Saltillo (GIS), Kind en Gezin, Kuwait Petroleum Italia, Nationwide, Quest, Talbots, University of St. Gallen

Cipher

Buyer's Guide

Cisco UCS C-Series Rack Servers vs. IBM Power Systems

September 2025

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